Raheem Morris Admits Atlanta Falcons have a Problem

The Atlanta Falcons are off to a 4-3 start and could still lead the NFC South on Tuesday morning, but they have a glaring hole on their team.

The Atlanta Falcons have failed to affect the quarterback all season, including Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After being beaten by the Seattle Seahawks 34-14 on Sunday, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked if he had concerns about the pass rush (or lack thereof).

"Yes," Morris stated bluntly.

"We’ve got to get the quarterback at a timely fashion. We’ve got to get him on the ground when we send people. Can't let him scramble around [and] do some of those things. We’ve got to go back and find ways to fix them. We did hit the quarterback I think once today. Had an opportunity to get a throw-away in the pocket. We got an illegal hit low [penalty]. We’ve got to fix some of those things, see what we can do to correct that. We're looking at it on tape.”

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The Falcons rank dead last in sacks this season with six in seven games. The 2021 team had an improbably-low 18 sacks which were 11-sacks worse than the Philadelphia Eagles who finished 31st that year.

The Falcons are on pace for 14.5 sacks in 2024. Eight players had at least 14 sacks in 2023.

Optimists will point out the pressure rate that the Falcons were able to generate against Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. Statistically, the Falcons pressured Smith on 50% of his throws, a season high for both Smith and the Falcons.

However, not all statistical pressures are created equally. A veteran passer like Smith will hold the ball as long as possible while slower-developing routes can be executed. If those routes are covered, the quarterback can take a checkdown into acres of space allowed by Atlanta's soft-shell defense.

Smith is inviting pressure. He's not being pressured. And yes, there's a world of difference.

The Falcons are running a 2-4-5 nickel defense as their base package - two defensive tackles flanked by two stand-up edge rushers. Earlier this season, the second edge was replaced by a bigger defensive lineman like Zach Harrison or TaQuon Graham. Evidently the hope bringing a smaller, quicker player like Arnold Ebiketie would help the Falcons get to the quarterback.

It hasn't worked.

And the move has forfeited Atlanta's run defense. Opposing defenses look at a six-man front with wide splits and can pick up five yards at will. Atlanta prides itself on not giving up the big play, but they're not getting teams off the field either.

Seattle had just three points on their first two drives, but they held the ball for over 10 minutes. It's hard for an offense to get in rhythm when the opposing team is consistently going on long, time-consuming drives.

The Falcons have invested heavily in their offense. The defense's priority should be getting the ball back into their hands as quickly as possible. Not sitting back passively waiting for the offense to make a mistake.

Making a move for a player like the Raiders' Maxx Crosby or Cleveland's Myles Garrett is a longshot at best. Improvement needs to come from within.

It's no secret that the Falcons have a pass rush problem. The head coach isn't in denial. After a bizarre showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers on offense in Week 1, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson quickly made adjustments.

Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake needs to do the same. Forfeiting the rush defense, without the ability to get to the quarterback is not a winning combination.

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